Living in the city (Silver Lake area of Los Angeles) had its perks. I could walk everywhere: market, restaurants, banks, bars, etc. More importantly, during the hot summer months it meant I could simply cross the street every morning/afternoon to get iced coffee. Without realizing it, I was spending close to $20 a week to sustain my need for caffeine. And then I moved to the suburbs. Pasadena isn’t technically a suburb, but I live in an area that requires a car to get anywhere. The only place I can walk to is a gas station, and they don’t sell iced coffee. That’s where coffee concentrate comes into play.

Coffee concentrates seem to be popping up everywhere. From the rows of bottled coffee concentrates I see at the market to the numerous cold brew coffee concentrate kits I stumble upon online, it is definitely a hot commodity. I’ve purchased my fair share of these products. I love the ease of being able to whip up a batch of iced coffee at a moment’s notice. Simply grab a glass, pour, and enjoy. Obviously, buying these bottles and kits also adds up. This homemade cold brew coffee concentrate solves everything.

I have found that using a French press is the easiest way brew coffee. It conveniently separates the coffee bean grounds from the liquids. I’ve tried other methods (coffee filter, cheesecloth, etc) but they can get messy.

Roughly grind your favorite dark roast coffee beans and place them in your French press container. (Pre-ground beans are fine to use as well.) Pour in water (filtered is best) and vigorously stir to combine. Cover the container and allow the beans to steep overnight (8-12 hours) at room temperature. The following morning, slowly press down on the French press plunger to filter out the coffee beans from the liquid. Pour the coffee concentrate into a container and keep it chilled in the fridge until you’re ready for an iced coffee. IT’S THAT EASY.

Yes, the beans are steeped at room temperature. It’s not literally “cold brewed.” You can brew it in the fridge but it’ll take longer than 8-12 hours to get the same product. To me, “cold brew” simply encompasses everything that isn’t brewed with hot water. (If you’re not interested in coffee concentrate, I also have a post for regular cold brew coffee.)

The recipe for this coffee concentrate uses a 1:2 ratio of beans to water. The concentrate makes between 6-8 cups of iced coffee, depending on your desired strength. Since I prefer strong coffee, I make my iced coffee using a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water. The standard iced coffee ratio would be 1:2, 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water or milk.

Leave a Comment

Keep in Touch

SUBSCRIBE to receive new posts via email:

Follow Me:

Disclosure

The Little Epicurean contains paid advertising banners and sponsored posts. Any Amazon links found on this site are affiliate links.
Any products I mention are items I genuinely like and personally use. Any sponsorships, partnerships, or giveaways will also be noted.